Ondo State Commissioner for Urban Development and Physical Planning, Barrister Gbenga Olaniyi, has put a lie to allegations by opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has no achievement to parade in his almost one year in office, describing the accusation as wicked and anti-people.
Olaniyi, who is the Deputy Director-General for Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers Independent Council (LACO-FSIC) in charge of Ondo Central Senatorial District, in a statement issued on Monday, scoffed at the arm-chair approach of the state’s PDP to criticism, urging officials of the party to move round the state on inspection.
“I think the PDP, in taking to this stuff of cheap blackmail are jittery at the sight of mammoth crowds that are always out to cheer up Governor Aiyedatiwa anywhere he goes; apparently in appreciation of the diverse ways the governor has touched their lives.
“Specifically, Governor Aiyedatiwa, on assumption of office, cleared backlogs of unpaid salaries and also ordered monthly palliative allowance for all public workers in the wake of the hardship occasioned by the removal of petroleum subsidy.
“Besides, he provided free bus shuttles for all school children and public workers to subsidise transportation costs in their daily chores.
“Already too, the governor has re-mobilised virtually all contractors back to site, apart from awarding several road and other projects cutting across the 18 local governmentareas of Ondo State.
“He also provided succour for those in the non-formal sector by making available over N2 billion as soft loans to be accessed by petty traders, peasant farmers and struggling entrepreneurs, among others,” Olaniyi itemised.
The commissioner added that in Ondo Central Senatorial District from where he hails, the list of several projects embarked upon by Governor Aiyedatiwa had lengthened beyond public expectation.
“Are we to talk about the new water project to serve the entire Senatorial District which is in the pipeline, or the ongoing renovation and rebranding of Akure City Stadium, or the several ongoing road rehabilitation works in virtually every nook and cranny, or the renovation of bus-stops and beatification of Akure, the capital city?”
On the governor’s achievements through the Physical Planning and Urban Development Ministry where he is Commissioner alone, Olaniyi said that the list is almost inexhaustible.
“Here for instance, Governor Aiyedatiwa gave approval of preparation of Akure Master Plan, and preparation of master plan for Araromi seaside to complement the coastal road of the federal government, thereby making Araromi a world-class tourist city.
“He gave similar approval of urban renewal programme for the regeneration of Ejemikin/ Odopetu ancient communities, as to meet the basic infrastructural developments applicable in any modern city and world-class habitats.
“This is aside from making building approval easier for non-commercial infrastructures by removing the Certificate of Occupancy as a condition for approval; and then, The Governor provided neighbourhood markets for eyebrow areas like Alagbaka etc,” he recalled
“Indeed, the PDP allegations are wicked and anti-people, for the fact that they run contrary to realities on ground,” he deplored.
On the PDP aversion to the recent appointments of 349 aides by the governor, Olaniyi said the PDP leaders were dazed as the governor’s lofty agenda ran contrary to their plan to run a self-centred form of administration, if given the chance to rule Ondo State.
“They have simply forgotten that these new aides were picked from various wards spread across the entire state, to interface with the governor on priority needs of their various communities, which when achieved as set out by the governor, will make Ondo State a model state for the entire Nigeria.
“Aiyedatiwa does not need to create mass political appointments to rig election as they have insinuated, because his good works in every part of Ondo State have already spoken for him,” Olaniyi defended.
